Pothole season is coming, and while it may cause concern for your daily commute, it could also mean trouble for your home. The same freeze-thaw cycle that puts asphalt at risk can cause structural damage to your home’s foundation. Frost heaving – the term used for soil movement caused by the freeze-thaw cycle – can leave cracks in your basement walls and floor. If left unchecked, this problem could pave the way for water seepage.
Category: Basement Waterproofing
How to Prevent Allergens and Mold in the Basement
By: | Published September 28, 2024If there was one place in your home that is most likely to cause allergy flare-ups, it’s your basement. Due to the high humidity, basements make excellent hosts for the most common home allergens. It’s surprisingly common to find mold in the basement, making it one of the most likely triggers for allergy symptoms or respiratory issues in a house.
Preventing Water Damage In Your Home
By: | Published August 28, 2024Water damage is the destruction caused by water intruding where it can enable attack of a material or system by destructive processes such as rotting of wood, growth, rusting of steel, and many others. It can have a significant impact on your home, leading to costly repairs and health hazards due to mold and mildew growth. Preventing water damage is crucial to maintaining a safe and healthy living environment.
What is Drain Tile in Basement Waterproofing?
By: | Published August 21, 2024Basement waterproofing is a critical concern for homeowners, especially those in areas prone to heavy rainfall or high water tables. One of the most effective solutions for keeping your basement dry is the installation of a drain tile system.
How to Find a Basement Waterproofing Company in Ohio & Michigan
By: | Published June 21, 2024Ensuring your basement remains dry and free from water damage is crucial for maintaining the structural integrity of your home. Finding the right basement waterproofing company can make all the difference.
How Does a French Drain Work?
By: | Published June 19, 2024A French drain is an effective solution for managing water issues in various settings. Whether you’re dealing with a wet basement, a soggy yard, or preventing water buildup around your home or business, understanding how a French drain works can be invaluable. But how does a French drain work exactly?
How to Prevent Basement Flooding During Heavy Rain
By: | Published April 30, 2024Imagine this – The forecast predicts a heavy rainstorm coming your way. While most would worry about canceling plans or getting wet, you have a bigger concern—will your basement flood? It’s a valid fear, considering that even a little water can lead to big problems, like damage to your home’s foundation, ruined personal belongings, and the potential for mold growth. So you’re left asking how to prevent basement flooding during heavy rain and hoping you can find the answers!
Basement Braces to Solve Bulging Foundation Walls
By: | Published April 8, 2024Foundation wall failure typically happens slowly over time, and there are signs that you can see. But only if you know what to look for! Learn how to spot the signs and identify what’s going wrong with your wall before it fails completely.
How Do You Know If Your Foundation Wall is Leaning, Bowed or Bulging?
Fortunately, there are several indic
There are few things in your home as important as the basement foundation wall. It helps ensure the structural integrity of your home and fights against the tide of moisture and soil pressing against your basement interior. If it fails, it can devastate your home.
Bulging foundation walls are how it starts. And then it deteriorates from there. But there’s a way to help mitigate the damage – and that’s by using basement braces to help straighten basement walls and prevent additional leaning.
Read on to learn more about basement braces and how they can help prevent catastrophe in your home!
Types of Basement Braces to Fight Back Against Bulging Foundation Walls
When it comes to dealing with leaning foundation walls or other inward movement, basement braces can be a great solution. They provide structural support, reinforce stability, and overall enhance long-term durability for your foundation. Here are some of the most common types of basement braces you may find:
Wall Anchors
For common bowing or leaning walls, heavy duty wall anchors can help reverse inward movement and restore stability. These anchors are installed into the soil outside of your foundation wall and are connected to a plate on your wall. The heavy-duty steel helps stabilize the wall. It can also straighten the wall back into place.
Versatile anchors are effective for most wall repair situations. The biggest drawback is that they require a large space outside of the home for access. In areas with homes that are built close together, the anchors can’t be installed.
Steel Beams
When wall anchors are not appropriate or possible, steel beams are a popular option. The installation is very straightforward: steel beams are set vertically along the failing foundation wall. While they can’t reverse the bowing, they will prevent any further inward movement.
Steel beams come with a significant downside: their bulk. The beams are large and steal space from your usable basement area. Many homeowners find this undesirable and opt for more modern options.
Helical Piers or Helical Piles for Basement Foundations
Helical piles are steel shafts with helical plates used to stabilize and support basement foundations by transferring loads to stable soil or bedrock. They’re versatile, require minimal excavation, provide immediate load transfer, and can be adjusted to suit different conditions. Their installation is environmentally friendly and offers long-term cost savings. Proper design and installation are crucial for optimal performance and compliance.
Carbon Fiber Wall Braces
You can achieve the bracing effect of steel beams without the bulk by using carbon fiber, the strongest man-made material on the planet. Carbon fiber is a modern marvel that has become accessible due to more affordable mass production methods. Previously, it was only used for applications like space shuttles and bridge repairs.
Carbon fibers are woven together into a sheet that’s resistant to stretching. Attached to the wall with epoxy, the sheet will not only prevent the wall from shifting inward, it will actually reinforce the wall to make it stronger than before.
In addition to its exceptional strength, carbon fiber sheets are extremely thin. Unlike steel beams, this option will be practically invisible. You’ll lose no noticeable space in your basement!
EverDry Toledo recommends StablWall™ carbon fiber for weak walls and aging foundations. This permanent solution can extend the life of your foundation by years and becomes unnoticeable when painted over.
How Do You Know If Your Foundation Wall is Leaning, Bowed or Bulging?
Fortunately, there are several indicators that can help you identify when your basement foundation wall is compromised. When looking for structural issues, they can present themselves differently depending on the type of inward movement your walls are experiencing.
Here are some of the most common signs of problems with your basement foundation wall:
- Cracks in your walls more than 1/8 inch wide
- Angled cracks from the corners of the wall or across the center
- Unleveled flooring
- Water seepage
- Walls sliding inward at the bottom or leaning in at the top
Distinguishing Between Types of Basement Foundation Inward Movement
Not all foundation damage is the same. If you think you’ve identified the early signs of failure, it can help to distinguish between leaning walls or bulging walls. The difference may not seem important, but it can help with locating the source of the problem and deciding on a solution.
Bulging walls in your house often have horizontal cracks, as the pressure is closer to the center of the wall and will cause it to fold in from the center. You can measure for a bulged wall by using a plumb string attached to the ceiling and measuring the distance of the wall, bottom to top. If the wall measures longer than the plumb line, it indicates a failing wall that is likely to be bulging.
Leaning foundation walls will angle slightly. Most homeowners expect leaning walls to lean in from the top. In some cases, the inward movement comes from the bottom instead. Make sure to look for both.
What Can Cause a Foundation Wall to Fail?
Drainage
Inadequate drainage is one of the most common ways that foundations suffer damage
6 Benefits of Waterproofing Your Basement
By: | Published February 14, 2024Becoming a homeowner is one of the most rewarding experiences in life. It’s a journey filled with learning, growth, and the joy of making a space truly your own. However, with the pride of homeownership also comes the responsibility of maintenance and improvements. One question we often get is homeowners asking about the real benefits of waterproofing for their property and their own health.
A Comprehensive Guide to Stopping Water Seepage in Brick Walls
By: | Published December 18, 2023Water seepage in brick walls can be a homeowner’s nightmare. It not only damages the aesthetic appeal of a home but can also lead to structural issues and unhealthy living conditions. From understanding the causes to implementing long-term solutions, we’ll help provide a thorough understanding of the problem and its remedies.